"The Police Service of Northern Ireland kept inspectors from the Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office (IPCO) in the dark about two covert operations against journalists in 2018 and 2023, it has been disclosed. Brian Leveson, the investigatory powers commissioner, confirmed in a letter to Northern Ireland's policing board that the PSNI only informed IPCO about the covert operations in 2025, after they had become public."
"In August 2018, the PSNI authorised an unlawful surveillance operation in a failed attempt to identify a confidential journalistic source suspected of supplying information to journalists Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney. The then chief constable of the PSNI authorised a Directed Surveillance Authorisation (DSA) to allow the PSNI to monitor an individual suspected of leaking information to the two journalists."
PSNI failed to notify IPCO about two covert surveillance operations against journalists carried out in 2018 and 2023. Brian Leveson confirmed that IPCO was only informed in 2025 after the operations became public. In 2018 the PSNI authorised a Directed Surveillance Authorisation to monitor a suspect believed to be leaking to Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney; that operation was unlawful. PSNI did not disclose the 2018 surveillance during IPCO's 2019 inspection, breaching statutory obligations. Leveson received no explanation and questioned why the DSA was not brought to inspectors' attention. PSNI is preparing a review by Angus McCullogh KC into surveillance of journalists and lawyers.
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